Grozine Edition #Deux

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The Unseen World of Plants

Mitosis

Pounds from Prevention

100% Rad, Yo! Duck

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Cove

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it’s

Grozi

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on Editi

Photonnage

Deux

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From the Idiot Editor Welcome back to another Edition of Grozine. circa 2 garde 001 bathr o n

om

In case you are just joining us, we welcome you to visit our previous edition index on our website at http://www.grozine.com/issues. We also hang out online at our facebook page: http://facebook.com/grozine and provide regular updates-drop by and say hi:) As we start to work through our gears in gaining momentum as the -ORIGINAL-paperless hydroponic publication we start to define our ride a little further. We have had some very positive feedback and have also heard some laughable innuendo surface from industry reactionaries. Are we really the “first ever” electronic hydro publication? We doubt it-but we DO claim to be the most -ORIGINAL-, savvy? We aren’t sure how concerns about the dangers of smart meters aresomehow translating into in article about stealing power??? Ignorance, fear...both? Who knows. Read it before you knock it is all we can ask.

A Visit t o the G.P.C.R.C 19 99

If you don’t think Smart Meters effect our community and even our planet you might be -Nuts- in our estimation of things.

First MY Tradeshow, Agri-Dome, Vancouver, BC.

So what is the “unseen” world of growing-underground plant cultivation competitions? No. It’s all of the miraculous processes that are going on right beneath our noses that drive plant life and help to sustain our own lives on this planet. Often these marvels go largely unnoticed; perhaps taken for granted because we spend so much time worrying about the aspects of our garden that somehow are perceived as more tangible in our collective growing psyche. While we touch on these processes in how they relate to improve your growing successes, we also begin to take small steps in many other, perhaps unseen journeys in discovering the natural world we exist in.

ada...

My old ! 1997???!!

-Can use, MB o h n e e r g

We are going to talk about the “packets of light” your plants absorb in order to perform, and what you need to know to put them to work in getting the best your garden can offer. Surrounding the leaves we have the regulatory world of water vapor. While beneath the surface, the magic also runs silent as it does deep: Oxygen, your missing link to bigger yields? And as the saying goes, that’s just the tip of the iceberg-fitting, because what is unseen can sometimes have the biggest impact. Enjoy friends!

Highest Regards, Erik Biksa Editor-erikbiksa@grozine.com Cold War Cover Images borrowed from: Original Vortex Cover Non Photo By Erik The -ORIGINAL-Paperless Hydroponics Publication “Illegitimi Carborundum http://www.fulltable.com/VTS/c/coldwar/menu.htm

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Superthirive.. O boy, this is one of my favorite rants. I’ll start by saying this. If you have really crappy soil, like sand, then adding this to your water will help if you did nothing else. So, I’ll grant it that. But, here is what I’ve heard. First off notice the label.. Notice how it hasn’t changed in about 50-60 years.. Do you know why? From what I’ve heard it’s cause it was grandfathered in to the truth in advertising act and if they update the label. They need to bring the whole thing up to current standards and they know they cannot make those claims. So it remained the #1 plant perfecter. < not even a word.. lol Biousables? A trademarked, by them word? lol Then you need to note that it comes from the horticultural Mecca of Hollywood CA and let me assure you that Hollywood is not a nice place. It’s a shit hole. The other rumor is that because it’s from the American Vitamin Company (or something like that) it’s said to be the left over from human vitamin productions. Not that this is bad but it’s leftovers or maybe the QA rejects. My mother used it for houseplants and over the years I’ve sold a 100 gallons of the stuff. It’s not poison but it’s folklore to me. I’d rather use micro blast or something like that if I needed it. But I don’t. John B GZ: Ha, ha-we still use the stuff on freshly rooted cuttings here

I loved issue uno! Emily W, GZ-Thanks Emily :) ********************************************************************************************************************************************** I really like what you are doing... and I have a ton of respect for you. Just want to give you some feedback. One of your articles has a video that is titled ... “how to double your production with a lung room”. This title is obviously misleading. It takes more than a lung room right? You need a second garden, 2x the light and plants and so on. All the ad’s in our industry are claiming bigger yields... and most are BS. while I agree you can greatly increase efficiency with a lung room when you have 2 gardens side by side... theres a big difference between that and doubling your yield because you set up a lung room.

Wasted: s m e l b o r Paper P er is Pulp and pap est inthe third larg to

Paper waste accounts for up to 40% of total waste in the United States, ter u ll o p l a ri st u d which adds up to 71.6 million tons of d land air, water, an waste per year in the United States a and in both Canad alone tates, the United S Paper waste li well ke other and releases f w o as g te k s n fa o ce li il s the additional over 100 m hazard of toxic each n o ti u ll o p inks, dyes toxic and polymers th at could be year. potentially ca rcinogenic when incinerate d, or comingled with grou ndwater via traditional bu ri al methods Worldwide cons umption of pap such as modern er landfills. has risen by 40 0% in the past Paper recyclin 40 g mitigates years, with 35% of harvested tr this impact, bu t not the ees being used for paper manufact environmental and economic ure impact of the energy

sues Three main is ironmenwith the env printtal impact of e use of ing inks is th nic comvolatile orga y metals pounds, heav wable and non-rene oils

A modern kraft pulp mill is more than

self-sufficient in its electrical generation and normally will provide a net flow of energy to the local electrical grid.. Additionally, bark and wood residues are often burned in a separate power boiler to generate steam. If the harvested trees are replanted a kraft mill can be carbon-neutral, but reforestation has been criticized for reducing biodiversity.

that paper,so know se u ll a e -W EB Note es out t “clean” sourc c fa in re a re the r them! there-look fo

Gaby B GZ-thanks for the Feedback, G!

Source: http://en.w ikipedia.org/wiki/ Environmental_impa ct_of_paper

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There is often much more to a picture than meets the eye. And it sure holds true in your growing endevor. When’s the last time you stopped to think about just how mind-boggling what you might be doing in the spare room or corner of the basement really is. Think about it: a tiny seed or sprout, a proverbial “fish out of water” is able to grow into a specimen that you value enough to spend your time and money on in a completly artifical environment that you create-or is that really the case?

mply) tapsimply (or not so si e ar u yo at th er Consid es that surty incredible forc et pr me so to in s-stewng pi us. Even as grower n ai st su ct fa in d round, an g picture -we can miss the bi gs in th ng vi li of it ards ing in the middle of be sy bu o to e ar because we Kurt Vonnegut Jr.). (loosely quoted from es back, and let our ey ep st at th ke ta When we en we are ocus is usually wh -f of tou go d an n our wide c illusion art that hi ap gr lo ho at th e able to se e! fact a real pictur in is us re su as s friend ght in ere is a picture ri th u: yo ll te me t Well, le cture that ctive and living pi ra te in an , us of t time fron the way up to the l al ; ss re og pr in is a work . harvest or share it you consume your y are THINGS in LIFE-the ST BE e th of l al And like ar free;) FREE, or at least ne the various r-action, -click- on te in of it ir sp e In th is page and in the images on th areas highlighted r down the hole.... you will go furthe der issues or use an ol r se ow br ng vi ha e If you ar and inhave also numbered we tno ar fe , rm n of fo plat cles in this, editio ti ar g in nd po es er dexed the co at site. Reader, it’s linked e ob Ad ad lo wn Do Grozine.

I.-Relative Humid ity-(R.H.) Page 06 II.-Temperature-( Temp) Page 07 III.-Dissolved Ox ygen-(D.O.) Page 10 IV.-Carbon Dioxid e-(CO2) Page 13 V.-Photon Flux D ensity (PFD) Pag e

V. IV.

I.

II. . I I I

13

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!ereht era yeht nehw ti wonk erus uoy tub-dnah ruoy ni meht dloh yltcaxe t’nac uoy ,evol ro pihsdneirf ekat...”nees“ neve ro ,dehcuot eb tonnac su ot ”elbaulav“ yllaer si tahw fo hcum os

background imag e courtesy of Ga rden Grove Organ ics-they rawk!


1) RH-Relative Humidi ty-

Finding the right ba ndwidth for Relati ve Humidity (RH) le greenhouse garden vels in your indoor can have a signific or ant impact on what garden, and the de you harvest from yo gree of difficulty ur you may experience arriving there. Of course if you gr ow indoors hydropon ically, you will ha tance of RH-howev ve heard about th er, once you learn e imporand even master ho plants and how they w it actually works will respond to di on your fferent ranges is wh much you may have en you may realize underestimated th how is unseen force th at is at work in yo ur gr ow, And it is in fact a force that is at wo rk. The water vapo leaves of your plan r that surrounds th t will in large part e , play a role in how freely transpire mo fast your plant ca isture into the air, n after it has been ta porting water and ken up the roots (tr nutrients) and exis ansts through the tiny called stomata. Es openings in the leav sentially, the high es er th e concentration of humidity level) that water vapor (ie, hi surrounds the micr gher o-climate around th the degree of exte e stomata, the grea rnal pressure that ter is put against the plant, pardon the pu water trying the le n. ave the aset your w You can off on footprint pti ter-consum r R.O. enting you ith m le by supp r w arden wate capfiltered g u o y r that “living” wate nsate. After nde ture as co better , you will g in c wapracti is time to it n e h w e g gau ;) ter again

In short, most gardeners have rea lized: the drier the air, the quicker the plant can lose moi sturen with higher RHlevels contributing to lowered water loss by plants into the air. That in itself is virtually useless information to you as a grower-what you need to und erstand is when and

how far to push or loosen that ext ernal pressure on the plant for healthy gro wth as varies with climate and growth phase. During propagation, we don’t want plants to lose water too quickly; they don’t have the roo t system to support higher loss levels and plants get stressed or worse. During germination and rooting cut ting, levels of around 85-90% are common. Once roots are showing, this level is gradually lowered. Typically, during transplant and ear ly vegetative growth, most plant strains respon d well to RH levels in the neighbourhood of 65%, here we are encouraging more water and nutrient uptake but are still being careful not too push the plant too much bef ore it’s ready>>>>>>

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t.’d... R.H.-Relative Humidity-Con

Once plants develop a thicker canopy of leaves (essentially creating their own micro-climate) finding the right RH level for your strain, climate and growth phase becomes a useful tool in regulating plant growth patterns and growth rates. One of the reasons plants will stretch more is if the humidity levels rise higher than 60% in the dark phase or when the lights are on in early flower. Plants sense there is more water vapor in the air, and then create more distance between sets of leaves in order to compensate for it. Stretching is not desirable indoors, as artificial light intensity drops quickly with distance it travels. Later on in flowering, if humidity levels are past 65% when flower have formed, typically they will be looser and more “airy” versus flowers that develop more in the 55% RH humidity bandwidth. (+/-5%). Higher humidity levels in late bloom contribute to rots and in early bloom may encourage flower abortion in tomato, for example, and weaken pollination. However, drier isn’t always better; especially earlier on. If your plants don’t have at least 45% RH they typically suffer. While you may think this is a novel way to stimulate faster growth, typically this creates more stress than anything. Leaf margins that curl upwards a a sign the air is too dry. It’s also a sign that

ure-Temp

your plants are running short on Potassium (K), because they will need more of it to regulate the stomata in drier air. Powdery mildew is more likely to happen in drier air than with a higher RH, especially if plants are soft due to higher Nitrogen levels. Depending on your set-up and season whether you need to ADD or REMOVE humidity is what you will first need to determine.

Adding humidity is typically much easier and affordable. A humidifier with a humidifying (on DROP) stat is all you need. This is pure gold for CEA growers in the earlier stages, where the air tends to be driers from big air-conditioners. Removing water vapor can be more costly and intensive. Typically a vent fan, or better yet a de-humidifier connected to a Dehumidistat (on RISE). Note that de-humidifiers tend to add heat to the grow air, but luckily they are usually only active in the dark cycle because either the exhaust fan or air conditioner will remove enough water vapor from the air while the lights are on. TIP: Collect the water that comes out of your (clean) condensation lines from your air conditioning and de-humidifcation equipment. This is pure living water from the plants, and you can feed it right back to them. Hint, it also helps tell you when it’s time to water again;) As a final note, when humidity levels are higher, you can feed a little stronger, when drier back-off. If you anticipate that the humidity will drop and you have been fertilizing your plants more strongly, back off on the strength for a couple of successive applications

The -ORIGINAL-Paperless Hydroponics Publication

Science teaches us that temperature is th

e Number One governor of all living re actions on our planet-yet , have you ever really “seen” it?

II-Temperature

CAUTION: Humidity levels of above 50% indoors can contribute to condensation where warmer air temperatures may be contacted cool temperatures, for example cold air intake ducting-be careful no drips are created that cause water pooling or damage. Typically this isn’t a problem; cold water pipes or cold air ducting may be insulated to prevent this.

II-Temperat

If you are viewing a crop with FLiR, meaning looking at it with an InfraRed scope or camera, it’s entirely possible. Smart farmers have been using this technology for years, and here’s why:

Most living things give off heat, as a by-product of their natural processes. When we are sick, we run a temperature; perhaps your Mom used to use this to gauge whether you were faking it or not in your ploy to skip school. Companies like Prairie Agri Photo Ltd (www. prairieagri.com) have been using the different heat signatures given off by plants and soils for years in order to provide agriculral producers with a real “picture” on how their crop or field is Feeling via InfraRed Photography

Fertility

Becasue we live in a digital age, this is no longer done on film-they don’t even make it anymore.. The aerial digital InfraRed images that are generated can reveal a lot for a grower. Farms are HUGE these days, and “walking the field” while always having a place, just may not be practical-especially when a single application of a product can run thousands of dollars or more.. So, instead of te lling you, for the thousandth time, to keep your “lights on” temps below 85 deg F (29.4 deg C) , we thought we would show yo u how a few aerial InfraRed photos we enjoyed viewing at Prairie Agri’s site.. “See” tempe rature!

Irrigation

Management

InfraRed Aerial Photography

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Your AD WILL look great here! YOU Saw it, didn’t you? Contact us today. Just -CLICKor visit our site, please

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An O.Z. of Prevention is Worth a L.B. of Cure By Casey Jones Fraser Alternatively,: about 30 grams of prevention is worth about 456 grams of cure (for those who live Metric)

Most of us are reactionary in our gardens. When we see obvious problems, we take care of them. At that point, however, your garden has already been impacted. If you can learn to predict issues before they arise, you will experience faste r growth and better harvests. You must learn to see the unseen, young Grasshopper. Nutrient deficiencies are a common problem for many growers. You may have noticed the following scenario in your own garden: One day the leaves are reaching for the sky, nearly straight up. The next day they start to fold in slightly like a taco shell. By the end of the week, the leaves have yellow spots. You can start giving your plants more Calcium, Magnesium, and Iron to treat the obvious deficiencies, but the yield and quality have already been affected. Next time, use a base nutrient with higher levels of macro and micro nutrients, or add a cal-mag product from day one. (Heat and humidity problems can cause similar symptoms.) Plants store nutrients and use them over time. The calcium that your plants receive today will not be used for two days or more, depending on metabolism and type of calcium used. If your plants need higher levels of a specific element this time, they may need it again in the next crop.

Big Box stores sell low quality potting soils. (EB-T hose Dirt Bags!) There, I said it. If you grow plants in the cheapest soil possible, don’t be surprised by a lack of roots and fruits. Yeah, sure, the bag says things like “organic” or “feeds plants up to two months”, but those soils were never intended for our plants in our gard ens. The worst part about bad potting soil is that you can’t change it. Once your plants are flowering, you will only make matters worse by shak ing off the old mix in an attempt to repot them in premium soil (or soil-less). Next time, get an opinion from an expert grower before buying a growing medium. That cashier at the hardware store is probably not an expert grower! Find a local shop with real grow lights and hydro equipment. That’s where the premium bags are sold.

ine ntal” is f “Experime d itcan affor u o y n e ID is h w counts, H t i n e h w BUT, en. well prov

n to court of growers who were take ir pa a ow kn I e. cil mi do ese Finally, don’t ruin your the downstairs ceiling. Th d an or flo irs sta up e th g out to be by the landlord for rottin r, because they were going te wa for ce pa rks wo e th are now in two guys never prepped s an expensive lesson. They wa It se. loo me ca se ho a und “extra careful.” Then liner. Now that’s worth a po f roo rp te wa a th wi nt te a a new location, growing in (456 grams) of cure. The -ORIGINAL-Paperless Hydroponics Publication

“I always get spider mites around this time.” I’ve heard that phra se from growers over and over again, usually about three weeks into flowering. Spider mites love those hot HPS lights. Spray a reliable and safe bug killer in the vegetative stage, and during th e first week of flowering. You might not see them now, but if they usually show up, that means you already have them. Pe rsistence during the first two weeks of flowering can keep you bug free th rough harvest. This one is simple: summer is coming so get a real air conditioner and a dehumidifier. If you can’t ke ep daytime temps at 72-82F, then just shut it down for the summer. Don’t bank on experiments. If you require big yields, use tried and true methodology and equipme nt. Seriously, you knew those LED light s were a gamble, so don’t complain abou t a drop in yield. That’s why it’s calle d an experiment.

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De-Humidifiers are great for preventing a wide array of proble ms that can surface from excess humidity in th e growing environment.

Casey Jones Fraser is . an obsessed gardener s, rb he , ies He grows vegg th bo th wi and flowers otraditional and hydr ars ye His s. ponic method ripe ex of botanical ences have taken him ieverywhere from Jama or lif Ca n ca to Norther re mo r fo t nia on a ques ad knowledge. You can re us rio va in his articles es, hydroponics magazin op: sh il ta re or visit his s nic ga Or e Garden Grov nKe n er in the North ter tucky region of Grea nde ar w.g Cincinnati. ww m .co groveorganics


n e g y x O d e v l o s s i D . O . D III)

Observe a farmer’s field in early spring a day or two after heavy rains. Plants that are growin g where water has pooled due to poor drainage often look yel low or pale and are clearly not growing as well as the others -they are getting choked of oxygen, they have plenty of water, right?

after and consider in the garden; There are always a lot of things to look er or do your growing indoors under especially if you are a hydroponic grow of nutrients, the right temperature, lights. Having the right feeding ratios th phase...and the list goes on. the optimal light intensity for the grow

ers who are going to go the disSooner or later (hopefully sooner) most grow all of these aspects in order, and tance with their growing endeavour get perfection; perhaps customizing the over time they begin to “dial them in” to for the strain they choose to grow. growing environment or nutrient regimen rovements in crop qualities and When that happens you start to see imp played your cards right. growth rates in your yields if you really building up a car-more displaceBuidling up your indoor garden is just like etc. SO, where’s one of the easiest ment, better exhaust, handling, traction combustion engine that also happlaces to get more performance out of any formance factors in most gardens? pens to be one of the most overlooked per

Oxygen (O2) is that missin g link to faster growth rate s, healthier plants and even bigger yields.

Typically 16 PPM (parts per million) of DO (dissolved oxygen) at the roots is considered very good. Most healthy growing situations are probably half of that. Double these amounts are possible with specialized technologies that actually dissolve O2 in solutions, rather than just bubble it through (diffusion).

can load your crops with carbs, but if they don’t have enough O2, that can become a limiting factor in how much of those carbs they can “b urn” for growth. Oxygen availabili ty in the root zone is highly critic While most growers are aw al for root are that health and nutrient upta their plants use CO2 (carb ke . In warm on dioxide) and wet conditions, oxygen through their leaves, and levels are know they low because colder water may increase growth rate holds much, s by increas- much more water oxygen-as do ing these levels. However, the few “think pore spaces around the roo O2” when contemplating wh ts when at is proempty. pelling their garden forwa rd in the hopes of achieving health yields. Once the pore spaces beco me depleted of O2 for a period If you have spent some tim an d then e and efcoupled with warmer temp fort getting your garden eratures, dialled in rots and diminished upta but just aren’t where you ke are sure want to be, to follow. Even though yo consider giving this growi ur plants ng paramaren’t showing root rot, it eter further examination. doesn’t mean that they are wasti ng a lot of their valuable energy fig Just like in humans, O2 is hting infeccritical for tions at the roots rather than respiration-when plants ac growtually use ing faster; all simply due all the sugars they manufac to a lower ture durO2 level at the roots. ing light hours to grow, th is mostly happens during the dark cycle. You

one above, A Hydroponic Reservoir Chiller, like the solution can help keep more O2 in your nutrient The -ORIGINAL-Paperless Hydroponics Publication

Here are some quick and easy ways to get more O2 to your plants’ roots for ter performance and yields bet: -In hydroponic systems, ad d a small fountain or aqua rium circulation pump to your reservoir, and re-circu late the solution 24/7, all owing it to fall through the air back into the tank . When water “falls” it pick s up and dissolves O2 int it, and then can deliver it o right to your plants roots. Watch the pump doesn’t add too much extra heat to your reservoir -In re-circulating hydro sy stems, maintaining the rig ht reservoir temperature critical, especially if ther is e is no growing medium to buffer temperatures. Six ty five degrees Fahrenheit is considered optimal by most. Insulting your reser voir is a good first step in reducing temperatures. If that isn’t enough frozen water bottles or even a wa ter chiller (coil or unit) ma y be required. Growers may marvel at the differ ence running their res fiv e de grees cooler can make on their yield and growth ra tes. -In soil and soilless gard ens, the act of watering int roduces O2 into the root zone, because typically, th e water is travelling throu gh the air and percolating into the soil, carrying O2 along with it. Improving drainage allows for more frequent waterings and th erefore a more frequent replenishment of O2 levels Note that O2 gets deplet . ed quickly INSIDER TIP: if watering soil plants in containers, “Shop-Vac” up the excess run off from trays, troughs, floors, etc that your containers are on right after you water. When sucking up the solution below (that is still connected, drop by drop to the roots) on the floor or saucer with a Vac, you will draw a HUGE amount of air into the rootzone. You can actually see it with your eyes,

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Feli is a photography extraordinaire, and is based out of Cologne, Germany. While his skills are evident in the range and scope of his work, it is his botanical photography that we are very pleased to offer our followers in galleries that will receive regular updates at our website. Be sure to visit Felix Inden Photodesign on Facebook to marvel at the range of exciting shots he regularily updates.

Felix Inden Photodesign, Germany

“I was born in Spain and raised in Chile, where I learned to love our nature and biodiversity as a child. At that

time i hadnt any interest in photography, but I already loved to be outside and see how fascinating and diverse this world can be. Later on, I started to get interested in botanics and learned the gardeners profession in a botanical garden in Cologne, Germany, where i have lived since i came back from South America. My photography is focussed on nature, landscapes and architecture. As I grew up as photographer in the age of digital photography, i realized postproduction can bring some amazing results. Since that i enjoy every kind of multishot technique as panorama stitching, focus stacking and so on. In my landscapes i try to show feelings i had while i was outside and in the macro sector i like to maximize depth of field to get results with big sharpness and detail.

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IV) Another CO2 Article? yeah, but it’s useful....

OK, in the last edition of Grozine (UNO) we discussed CO2 (carbon dioxide) as one of those “unseen”components that re essential to the health and well being of our gard ens. We also highlighted the fact that by supplementing or “Boosting” CO2 levels in the growing area that we coul d improve growth rates, plant health and maybe even yield 10 to 25% more.

Besides nutrients,

lighting for crop growth is one of the most widely debated areas for growing plants. Did you know that light IS a nutrient for plant growth.?

sured. Plants certainly seem to know they are there, and at the end of the day if you are growing, you know that the plant is the boss.

As growers, we usually hear about Lumens when What? people discuss grow lighting. This is a meaThat's right when light sure of the Intensity of hits your plants, they the light rather than its aren't just getting “Nutritional Value” for zapped for growth, they growth in the context are absorbing “little of lighting. Lumens meapackages” of light ensurements are based in a ergy. These very impormonochromatic reference, tant packages are called meaning they are only Photons, and while you talking about the green may not see them, science wavelengths of light. be mea Here's a partialsay can(via y ion s the expl anat PVEd ucation.org):

When you compare HPS to HPS this tells you which is more intense, not which has the most nutritional value. Since growers talk a lot about fertilizers, let's try and look at it this way: talking about Lumens is like talking about PPM or EC-it tells you how “strong” the fertilizer is, not what it's “nutritional content” is, for example how much Nitrogen versu Potassium, does it have Iron, if so what form, etc. It's just

But this info has been discussed, so here's some prac tical applications and guidelines you can follow to reali ze the benefits of having your plants breathing in more of the good stuff! Young Plants: When have lings: We d e e /S s g n plants are first about Cutti starting g reports n i r a e h ou the tip of the iceberg! n t, e a h sm t bee al l r bo e os d t n of u CO s 2 d pa ; will provide bene using CO2 d success e fits, v o r p m i r o f s o ho e t we ve g r, n dom i th o e “The photon flux density is important in determini g plants are ng the number of electrons which are generatd, we are e n u t th ro y wi a ed, ng t and hence the current produced from a solar cell. s down roots;) e t tion about the energy (or wavelength) of the photons, As the photon flux does not give informaor should be; prep investiga the energy or wavelength of the photons in aring the light source must also be specified.”... to explode into fu ll on vegetative growth Veg: Starting out at 600-800 during this “pre-veg” PPM of CO2 when plants are Here's the important part: “ the energy or wavelengt phase. h of the photons in the light source must 60 0 PP M also be specified”. is plenty. smaller provides noticeable benefits. As plants This means that in generating this measurement, the gain more leaves an stature, RE BANDWIDTH required for known r u o y f I phot osynthetic reactions can be engineered into ENTI ing: r e w o l the F y increase levels. 1200 PPM by Earl in PFD, it is actually telling you the Density of The equation, so when you see a reading oing to g t ' n e r a the end of veg is plenty; it travelling to the surface of an object or organism Packages of Growing Light that are plants ace p s h c , in our case plant leaves. This tells us u m s which lights have more nutritional content for grow cuts down on the time you fill out a , o o t th, allowing us to make better comparisons, m e ed th rather than who is blasting the loudest in the Gree have to spend when your as you ne n band r width only, as is with Lumens or Lux i e measurements. mp-up th power bills are highest with you can a e tur ental sta the improved growth rates. developm This is one of the most useful tables I have found on the subject to date, and is a handy little g CO2 lev n i n n u r y b tool, courtesy of http://www.apogeeinstruments.co.uk PPM 0 0 Peak Flowering: Here's 4 1 0 0 2 1 els in the If where replacing all of his time. NOTE: The conversion from PPF (μmol m-2 s-1) to Lux varies under different light sources. For a t t a e g n ra t u o those cylinders seems g n i n un complete discussion please see the reference listed below. you are r wn o all the worth while. If d r e w o l Conversion Factors of space, your plants are healthy PM unP 0 0 8 d n u to aro s are and you have good ering site w o l f l i PPF (μmol m-2 s-1) to Lux Lux to PPF (μmol m-2 s-1) t lighting, try going as d, and the e h s i l b a t s e Sunlight 54 Sunlight 0.0185 ided. high as 1600 PPM in this ” has subs h c t e r t s “ Cool White Fluourescent Lamps 74 Cool White Fluourescent Lamps 0.0135 phase; assuming nobody Ripe ning/ Late : Save your mone ding y spen and improve your High Pressure Sodium Lamps 82 High Pressure Sodium Lamps 0.0122 is going to be quality. Just run 600 PPM last 10 days before harmuch time in there-if High Pressure Metal Halide Lamps 71 High Pressure Metal Halide Lamps 0.0141 vest. CO2 is an ethylene inhibitor, and you will get so, 1200 PPM -MAXIMUM(>4000 PPM can be harm- denser flowers with better smells and tastes if you Multiply the PPF by the conversion factor to get Lux. For example, full sunlight is 2000 μmol cut back on CO2 at this final stage. ful or deadly) m-2 s-1 or 108,000 Lux (2000 ∗ 54). Multiply the Lux by the conversion factor to get PPF. For

example, full sunlight is 108,000 Lux or 2000 μmol m-2 s-1 (108,000 ∗ 0.0185).

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Mitosis-The

Unseen Magic In Rooting Cuttings By Brandon Serious Science for Serious Grower s.

The scientific basis for cloning (Asexual propagation) is the ability of each cell of a plant to divide and reproduce itself. Each cell contains all the DNA or the genetic code needed to make a new plant. This characteristic is known as totipotency, totipotency means the total potential a cell has for new growth and development of the plant. This process of cell division is known as mitosis. All plant growth occurs because of mitosis. Mitosis is a process that ensures a parent cell transmits one copy of every chromosome to each of its two daughter cells. Chromosomes contain the genes of the cell and are the carriers of the hereditary information that is passed from one generation to the next. A dicotyledonous plant, or one having a seed with two cotyledons, a chili pepper plant is a good example of a dicot; dicots have three main areas where mitosis takes place. These areas are the stem tip, the root tip of primary and secondary roots, and the cambium layer. The cambium is a layer of tissue in the stem, cell division in this layer causes the plant to increase its girth. Each area is known as a meristematic region of growth. Monocotyledonous plants have seeds that contain a single cotyledon. Corn is an example of a monocot. In these plants, there is a forth area of cell division called the intercalary meristem. This region is just above each node. Growth in the intercalary meristem produces an increase in the height of the stem; this increase is in addition to the height gained by growth at the top of the plant. Mitosis occurs in four phases, these phases are the prophase, the metaphase, the anaphase, and the telophase. The progression of phases is continuous, flowing smoothly from one phase to the next. The prophase is the first phase in the division of the nucleus; the nucleus is the control center of the cell. In this phase, the tightly curled chromosomes uncurl and form rod like structures. The chromosomes carry the genetic messages from the parent cells to the daughter cells and ensure the development of an identical plant. The prophase is followed by the metaphase, in which the chromosomes split lengthwise to form two sets of identical material. In the metaphase, two sets of chromosomes line up at the center, or if you like the equator of the cell. They then move quickly toward the poles of the cell. One half of the chromosomes go to each pole. This

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About Brandon:

Pillon

Growing up in Essex County, Ontario I was always fascinated with how plants grow, and would spend hours in our garden patch looking at the plants and insects and gained an understand ing of nature and how it works. I decided to further my knowledge of growing and enrolled in the horticulture program at a local college and have been enjoying furthering my “green edu cation� both in and out of the school setting. feel free to contact

me at

bpillon01@yahoo.ca

movement of the chromosomes is called the anaphase. As the chromosomes approach the polar regions of the cell, each group of chromosomes begins to form the new nucleus of a daughter cell. This stage is known as the telophase. New cell walls form to separate the two daughter cells. Each daughter cell has the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell. After a short period of growth, each daughter cell begins to divide. The continual process of cell division makes new tissue, resulting in growth of the plant. Mitosis also occurs when a plant part is wounded and callus tissue forms. Callus tissue is a group of cells that develops in response to a wound, like pruning lower branches that are shaded from light or taking clones from a mother plant. In plants callus formation is a healing mechanism. New roots that form on the callus tissue of cuttings are called adventitious roots. When taking clones or pruning it is important to make sure all your tools are disinfected to avoid infecting your plants with viruses and diseases. For cloning you should not fertilize your mother plant for 3 days to a week before taking clones, and also you should mist your mother plant heavily when your lights turn on to help flush nitrogen. The morning you are going to take your clones water your mother plant good with pH adjusted water. After you are finished with taking clones you should fertilize your mother plant with a B vitamin nutrient; and you should also raise up your light or add shade cloth to help the mother plant recover and to not over stress it. When it comes to pruning you should prune the lower branches that are shaded in the first week or two of the flowering phase, after the plants have stretched a little.

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